The Blue Castle

Valancy lives a drab life with her overbearing mother and prying aunt. Then a shocking diagnosis from Dr. Trent prompts her to make a fresh start. For the first time, she does and says exactly what she feels. As she expands her limited horizons, Valancy undergoes a transformation, discovering a new world of love and happiness. One of Lucy Maud Montgomery's only novels inteValancy lives a drab life with her overbearing mother and prying aunt. Then a shocking diagnosis from Dr. Trent prompts her to make a fresh start. For the first time, she does and says exactly what she feels. As she expands her limited horizons, Valancy undergoes a transformation, discovering a new world of love and happiness. One of Lucy Maud Montgomery's only novels intended for an adult audience, The Blue Castle is filled with humour and romance....more

Community Reviews

I arrived late to the L.M. Montgomery party, not having grown up with her stories as a young girl, but rather read them for the first time in my late 20's. Knowing what I know now about the beauty and magic of her books, I realize I missed out of some major reading adventures with Anne, Emily, Pat and gang, and will consequently never be able to wax nostalgic about how those books effected my life (which is probably for the best, as I tend to go into sappy, melodramatic overdrive when I really lI arrived late to the L.M. Montgomery party, not having grown up with her stories as a young girl, but rather read them for the first time in my late 20's. Knowing what I know now about the beauty and magic of her books, I realize I missed out of some major reading adventures with Anne, Emily, Pat and gang, and will consequently never be able to wax nostalgic about how those books effected my life (which is probably for the best, as I tend to go into sappy, melodramatic overdrive when I really love a book - you know it's true, my GR friends) :P

But in the case of The Blue Castle, it's a good thing I didn't pick this up to read until I was about the age of Valency, because I don't think a younger girl would be able to fully appreciate this story as much a young woman who has lived a little. This is one of Montgomery's only books written with an adult audience in mind, and it wasn't highly acclaimed at the time of publication or for several decades afterwards. It definitely deals with more adult themes, and does so with a very sympathetic hand. I have since learned more about Montgomery's less-then-fairytale life, and it makes me appreciate her talents even more.

If Jane Austen's Persuasion is all about second chances in life, then Montgomery's The Blue Castle is all about allowing oneself to have a chance at all. Valancy's road to independence at the age of 29 is chock-full of convenient coincidences that happen in order for her (and the story) to blossom, but those plot contrivances thankfully don't lessen the appeal of the story. While the majority of the characters are one dimensional and make only a brief appearance, Montgomery perfectly captured the character of Valancy, her mother, Roaring Abel, Cissie, and Barney Snaith. And speaking of Barney Snaith, was there EVER a swoon-worthy hero with a more dumpy name in the history of fiction? Good grief, the man oozes sex appeal, but no reader ever brings him up in discussions of great fictional heros, and I am convinced it's because of his name. Think about it:

An independent story from the author of Anne of Green Gables, written for an older audience. An important and underrated part of the Montgomery collection -- in this story, a young woman (young by our standards, an old maid in her time) rebels against her oppressive family and a conservative society to achieve a few basic but essential moments of happiness. On the surface this may look like flowers and fluff but, for the time, this was a subversively pre-feminist novel. Valancy becomes psychologAn independent story from the author of Anne of Green Gables, written for an older audience. An important and underrated part of the Montgomery collection -- in this story, a young woman (young by our standards, an old maid in her time) rebels against her oppressive family and a conservative society to achieve a few basic but essential moments of happiness. On the surface this may look like flowers and fluff but, for the time, this was a subversively pre-feminist novel. Valancy becomes psychologically and sexually independent, finds her own voice and claims a corner of the world (and its scruffy male inhabitant) for herself. This book had a big impact on me in college, and is still important as realistic fantasy for women living in strict conservative societies (patriarchal Japan, for example). Montgomery's work is constantly under-estimated, and the way the books are marketed doesn't help (the flowery script, the swoony illustrations). There are many layers at work in her stories, and some pioneering feminist concepts tucked in between the deep appreciation of nature, the commentary on the stuffy contemporary society of her day, and the delightful, well-drawn characters....more

CarolThis is an underrated book. My sister recommended it years ago. I read it immediately and was wonderfully surprised by the depth of Montgomery's writiThis is an underrated book. My sister recommended it years ago. I read it immediately and was wonderfully surprised by the depth of Montgomery's writing. Yes, Montgomery is really worth reading!...more
Jan 13, 2012 05:15PM

Sometimes I read a book, friends, and I spend the entire time going, “This book! THIS BOOK!” and I mark so many pages that the spine begins to bow outwards in desperation, and I want to recommend it to everyone I know, and then I sit down to write the review and my brain says:

“Um. Oh. Er. Hello? This book. It was a book. I like it. Yes.”

BRAIN DAMMIT YOU ARE NOT IMPRESSING UPON MY FOLLOWERS THE IMMENSE AWESOMENESS THAT IS THE BLUE CASTLE!!

“Ah. Well. It was a book. A good book. Yes.”

JESUS CHRIST BSometimes I read a book, friends, and I spend the entire time going, “This book! THIS BOOK!” and I mark so many pages that the spine begins to bow outwards in desperation, and I want to recommend it to everyone I know, and then I sit down to write the review and my brain says:

“Um. Oh. Er. Hello? This book. It was a book. I like it. Yes.”

BRAIN DAMMIT YOU ARE NOT IMPRESSING UPON MY FOLLOWERS THE IMMENSE AWESOMENESS THAT IS THE BLUE CASTLE!!

“Ah. Well. It was a book. A good book. Yes.”

JESUS CHRIST BRAIN WHY DO YOU FAIL?!?!

Clearly I’m not going to be able to adequately express to y’all why I read this book and instantly had to go purchase a copy of my own.

Suffice to say it was really, really enjoyable.

I mean, the whole thing was tempered a little bit with complete and total sorrow, because as you read this book you realize that it’s basically Lucy Maud’s pipe dream. There she is, struggling through life, growing up with no mother and a distant father and a heart-wrenchingly lonely childhood, several failed engagements and one tragic influenza death under her belt, plus a crappy marriage to a mentally ill religious zealot, a deceased child, a couple of lawsuits, and God knows what else.

And she writes this book—one of her few for adults—where her protagonist is also heart-wrenchingly lonely, unappreciated, stifled, saddled with heinous relatives, and whose future will involve either dying alone or marrying someone out of convenience and living out her days in a loveless marriage.

Valancy herself had never quite relinquished a certain pitiful, shamed, little hope that Romance would come her way yet—never, until this wet, horrible morning, when she wakened to the fact that she was twenty-nine and unsought by any man. Ay, there lay the sting. Valancy did not mind so much being an old maid. After all, she thought, being an old maid couldn’t possibly be as dreadful as being married to an Uncle Wellignton or an Uncle Benjamin, or even an Uncle Herbert. What hurt her was that she had never had a chance to be anything but an old maid.

But wait! There is light at the end of the tunnel! Valancy suddenly learns from her doctor that she’s about to die!

Normally this is terrible news, but for Valancy it’s the best thing EVER.

Suddenly, she realizes that she really doesn’t give a shit about her relatives.

They’re horrible to her! They’re just awful, awful people!

So screw them, she decides.

She tells them exactly what she thinks of them all, packs a bag, and wanders over to the bad side of town to play housekeeper for the town drunk and his slowly-dying daughter (cast out of the town’s good graces after she had the nerve to get herself pregnant out of wedlock, and if she’s dying well that’s what you get when you’re no better than you ought to be) and this is all terribly shocking to her family.

She befriends the loud, oath-uttering Barney Snaith, a “rakish individual with overlong tawny hair dashed with red, dark-brown eyes, and ears that stuck out just enough to give him an alert look but not enough to be called flying jibs,” and goes on wild car rides with him—and no female escort oh it gets worse all the time.

Also, she leaves the Anglican church and becomes a Presbyterian. DEAR GOD NO.

And Other Things Ensue and there is romance and intrique and you actually like how the inevitable relationship pans out (because was there ever any doubt?) and the writing is consistently funny. And through it all Valancy is happily bursting out of her Introverted Cocoon of Propriety and finally getting to just be herself regardless of how it’s viewed by proper society, and you as the reader spend the whole time going, “YEAH GIRL YOU SHOW THOSE ASSHATS HOW IT’S DONE” and it’s awesome. Awesome.

So it’s a fantastically fun read, but like I said, one that leaves you wishing that the author’s own life hadn’t sucked quite so much....more

If you think your relatives argue too much over the Thanksgiving meal or are impossible to live withtry Valancy Stirling's family.

Written in 1926, this is the story of Valancy, a 29 year old timid mouse of a person, considered an old maid by her family and the town generally. She does what everyone asks even when she hates it, quails before her insolent relatives, never talks back (except in her mind), cries herself to sleep on a regular basis, and overall lives a thoroughly miserable life. HerIf you think your relatives argue too much over the Thanksgiving meal or are impossible to live withtry Valancy Stirling's family.

Written in 1926, this is the story of Valancy, a 29 year old timid mouse of a person, considered an old maid by her family and the town generally. She does what everyone asks even when she hates it, quails before her insolent relatives, never talks back (except in her mind), cries herself to sleep on a regular basis, and overall lives a thoroughly miserable life. Her only solace is the imaginary Blue Castle she lives in when she daydreams, and the poetic nature books of John Foster.

One day Valancy, without telling her family, sneaks off to the doctor to find out why her heart has been bothering her. The doctor examines her, but rushes off in an emergency before he can give her a diagnosis. The letter she gets a day or two later from the doctor informs her that she has a severe heart condition, and less than a year to live.

Oddly enough, this death sentence frees Valancy from her miserable existence. With nothing to lose, she starts sassing her ice-cold mother and relatives, wearing "unsuitable" clothing, moving out of the house, and generally doing what she wants to without a thought for propriety. It's lovely to see her bloom and gain confidence, and begin to seek out happiness and love on her own terms. And eventually (I won't spoil the story by going into the hows and whys) she finds a home in a cottage by the lake that reminds her of her beloved Blue Castle.

This really is an old-fashioned, romantic "wish fulfillment" type of tale, and you have to just appreciate it for what it is. A few things kind of bothered me: You have to wade through a fair amount of misery in the beginning of the book before Valancy decides to grow a spine. The plot is pretty transparent: there are a couple of . . . developments (I can't really call them twists) that I could see coming from the very beginning of the book. But the lyrical, loving descriptions of the beauties of nature, a sweet romance and the witty humor touched my heart and won me over. Forget whatever shortcomings there are and just enjoy the ride.

If you like Anne of Green Gables and other old-fashioned books, you'll probably love this one. And you might pick up a few handy insults to use with your relatives when they get insufferable over the turkey.

TadianaHahaha! Well, I convinced my mother to read The Blue Castle, and this week she kept leaving me voice and text messages when she was 50 or 60 pages in,Hahaha! Well, I convinced my mother to read The Blue Castle, and this week she kept leaving me voice and text messages when she was 50 or 60 pages in, all, "This is depressing! D: Are you sure this is my type of book? It's making me sad!" and I kept responding, "Don't give up! It gets better soon! You'll love it, I promise!"

So she got over the hump and loved the last part, but I'm not sure she's recovered yet from reading the first section. Mom is such a wimp with sad stuff. :)...more
Feb 11, 2015 07:00PM

This is my favorite novel by LM Montgomery, even though it's not necessarily typical of her books. It is the sweetest romance I have ever read, full of laugh out loud moments and obnoxious "villains". In fact, this book's annoying characters are on a par with Jane Austen's best. it's a great story of learning to be free of society's bonds and expectations, of finding love when and where least expected, and of the joys that come when you open your heart to them. I completely recommend this book.This is my favorite novel by LM Montgomery, even though it's not necessarily typical of her books. It is the sweetest romance I have ever read, full of laugh out loud moments and obnoxious "villains". In fact, this book's annoying characters are on a par with Jane Austen's best. it's a great story of learning to be free of society's bonds and expectations, of finding love when and where least expected, and of the joys that come when you open your heart to them. I completely recommend this book. It may be my favorite ever novel--definitely in the top 10. ...more

What a delightful book! Who could not love this story about a woman who gains the courage to break free from the smothering yoke of her family and to make the most of the life she has left?

This book was hilariously funny in some parts, always inspirational, and sometimes pretty sad. It was intensely readable, and I loved Valancy and Barney. I could empathize very deeply with Valancy's situation, and I cheered her on when she stopped being afraid, and decided to be true to herself. Life is too shWhat a delightful book! Who could not love this story about a woman who gains the courage to break free from the smothering yoke of her family and to make the most of the life she has left?

This book was hilariously funny in some parts, always inspirational, and sometimes pretty sad. It was intensely readable, and I loved Valancy and Barney. I could empathize very deeply with Valancy's situation, and I cheered her on when she stopped being afraid, and decided to be true to herself. Life is too short to be hemmed and caged by others' expectations. If you can't be happy with who you are, then what is the point of living? It took a life-changing event to get Valancy to see this, and I was glad she did.

The romance was lovely in this book. I liked how Valancy and Barney's relationship started and would always be built on their friendship. There was a deep, romantic love there, no doubt. But, the person that one chooses as their life partner needs to be one that they can be happy to be around, and comfortable enough to not feel the need to fill the silences, but to cherish them. They found a connection as soulmates through the doorway of respect for each other and friendship. A great way to start a great lifetime love, in my opinion.

The metaphor of the blue castle spoke to me. We all need a blue castle in our lives, a place where we can go to feel true happiness, a retreat away from the disappointments and expectations of the world, and others' judgments and requirements for us. As I read this book, I wondered where my blue castle was. I got the answer to that question, and it made me smile.

This book gave me some wonderful hours of entertainment, but also encouraged me to life my life to its fullest. In the end, the quiet, shy, plain Valancy is a huge role model to readers who find themselves in a similar situation to hers. This is my first book by L.M. Montgomery, and I'm eager to read more of her....more

In an era where authors are trying to outdo one another by coming up with the most ingeniously twisted story that one could not possibly imagine the magic of a simple old fashioned classic story goes a long way in entertaining you. With its uncomplicated plot, laugh out loud moments and familiar characters these books has the uncanny ability to reach out and bring to surface "that old feeling" which reminds you why you started reading in the first place.

Without much ado this book is based on aIn an era where authors are trying to outdo one another by coming up with the most ingeniously twisted story that one could not possibly imagine the magic of a simple old fashioned classic story goes a long way in entertaining you. With its uncomplicated plot, laugh out loud moments and familiar characters these books has the uncanny ability to reach out and bring to surface "that old feeling" which reminds you why you started reading in the first place.

Without much ado this book is based on a simple concept called the "bucket list". What are the things that you would like to do before you kick the bucket? "Live" for one thing and that is exactly what Valancy Sterling has in mind. She wants to live her life before death claims her. Trying to be a prim and proper lady her whole life, Valancy Sterling has had enough. She has wasted too many years living to please others who were always disappointed in her but she has decided from now on she will speak her mind whenever she wants and she will sneeze where ever she wants. But that's not all, she is going to live in the same house with a old local drunk and take care of his sick dying daughter. But the bucket list is not complete without getting married and who better to get married to than the town's most notorious character. Living life takes a new meaning in the case of Valency Sterling. Whoever thought a death sentence would be this much fun.

Written with beautiful and imaginative voice the character of Valency has the ability to make you empathize with her and bring out that small part of you that recognizes the unpredictability and shortness of life. No story is complete without great characters and this book has many. The superficial aunts and uncles, the over bearing mother, rival cousins and many more. So even if there is nothing new about the story the book should be read at least for the writing style and the bevy of outstanding characters....more

This just became one of my all-time favorites! In fact, this may be my favorite L.M. Montgomery book, and I'm a huge "Anne" fan! I loved Valancy saying exactly what she thought to her stuffy family. I loved the drama and the romance, and the beautiful descriptions of the Canadian wilds. What a great book! It's a treat to read, just a joy with every page!

This is a sweet story about a spinstery spinster who conversely is given a new lease on life when her doctor pronounces a death sentence on her. "If I have only one year to live", she reasons, "I had better start living"!

The first thing Valency does while squeezing out of society's cage is to see things (and people) as they truly are and speak the truth, niceties and platitudes be hanged!

I have to say that if I wasn't pressured by my daugher to keep reading this, I would have given it up aroundThis is a sweet story about a spinstery spinster who conversely is given a new lease on life when her doctor pronounces a death sentence on her. "If I have only one year to live", she reasons, "I had better start living"!

The first thing Valency does while squeezing out of society's cage is to see things (and people) as they truly are and speak the truth, niceties and platitudes be hanged!

I have to say that if I wasn't pressured by my daugher to keep reading this, I would have given it up around page 45. It read like a serious pity party. 'Wah Wah Wah, I have a miserable life, no one likes me, I'm not even pretty, and did I tell you about the time my special buttons were unjustly shared out when I was a child... I hate this room, I hate porridge, all I want is a dust pile of my own....' serious whineage going on! I wasn't sure I could stomach any more. But my daughter ripped the book out of my hands, flipped the pages and said, "Give it 10 more pages". I did. And it turned out very good. So if you're tempted to give it up, give it to page 50-55 and then decide.

And for the record: Barney is quite possibly one of the sweetest heroes ever. No tall dark and handsome claptrap, just an honest to goodness decent guy for a change. We need more of that.

Valancy Stirling has committed the unpardonable sin of being 29 and unmarried. (Aw, crap! I was once guilty of THAT myself!) In her small, gossipy community, she has "failed to get a man," and is now a "hopeless old maid."

Valancy herself has not yet given up hope that Romance (Yes- capital R!) will come her way. And if all else fails, she has a rich fantasy life. Though her body may be stuck in an ugly brick box of a home, spiritually, Valancy lives in the Blue Castle in Spain, where everythingValancy Stirling has committed the unpardonable sin of being 29 and unmarried. (Aw, crap! I was once guilty of THAT myself!) In her small, gossipy community, she has "failed to get a man," and is now a "hopeless old maid."

Valancy herself has not yet given up hope that Romance (Yes- capital R!) will come her way. And if all else fails, she has a rich fantasy life. Though her body may be stuck in an ugly brick box of a home, spiritually, Valancy lives in the Blue Castle in Spain, where everything shimmers and gleams. There, she is loved by ruggedly handsome men who perform "deeds of derring-do" and have mysterious pasts.

As far as she could look back, life was drab and colourless, with not one single crimson or purple spot anywhere. As far as she could look forward it seemed certain to be just the same until she was nothing but a solitary, little withered leaf clinging to a wintry bough.

But all that is about to change...

A visit to a strange doctor about her odd chest pains brings some startling news, and suddenly...

Valancy is speaking her mind (GASP!) and telling off her relations with wild abandon!

"But I'm not a young girl," retorted Valancy, uncrushed. "Aren't you always rubbing that into me? And you are all evil-minded, senseless gossips. Can't you leave poor Cissy Gay alone? She's dying. Whatever she did, God or the Devil has punished her enough for it. You needn't take a hand, too. And as for Barney Snaith, the only crime he has been guilty of is living to himself and minding his own business. He can, it seems, get along without you. Which is an unpardonable sin, of course, in your little snobocracy."

(Okay, show of hands here...who HASN'T wanted to make a speech like that at some annoying family-get-together?)

Now, tongues are wagging as Valancy's off to keep house for a local reprobate. And she didn't even take her flannel petticoat! (DOUBLE GASP!)

Granted, this book is a Romance (with a capital R!), and that fact alone would normally make my skin sizzle, but...since the romance was between two oddballs who love to read and appreciate the beauty of nature, I managed to enjoy it anyway....more

MelkiI know what you mean. Unless you can check in four or five times a day, you're surely missing something.
May 14, 2013 11:34AM

Lynne KingWhy do the reviews whizz by so quickly. It is really here today and gone tomorrow, just like the May fly - ephemeral like the news on the radio and teWhy do the reviews whizz by so quickly. It is really here today and gone tomorrow, just like the May fly - ephemeral like the news on the radio and television...Sad really. I feel as if I'm living in a lost age.

I want to move back to Victorian times and have lots of money....more
May 14, 2013 12:32PM

there lived a beautiful young woman named Valancy Stirling. She was tall, with black raven hair, large brown slanted eyes, and pale, white skin that gleamed in the moonlight and gave her an ethereal, dreamlike appearance.

Valancy was the mistress of the Blue Castle in Spain; a big, imposing, majestic structure of elegance and grandness, resplendent in blue. "Everything wonderful and beautiful was in that castle."

She had everything she wanted, from glamorous jewels to gorgeouOnce upon a time...

there lived a beautiful young woman named Valancy Stirling. She was tall, with black raven hair, large brown slanted eyes, and pale, white skin that gleamed in the moonlight and gave her an ethereal, dreamlike appearance.

Valancy was the mistress of the Blue Castle in Spain; a big, imposing, majestic structure of elegance and grandness, resplendent in blue. "Everything wonderful and beautiful was in that castle."

She had everything she wanted, from glamorous jewels to gorgeous dresses, and plenty of fun, adventure, and romance. Valancy had a prince too, of course. A red-haired and blue-eyed mysterious hero, with a twisted grin, unkempt appearance and kind, amiable ways. With him she was happier than she'd ever dreamed was possible. He was everything her heart had always desired and more.

One of her favourite escapes, too, was reading John Foster's nature books, which truly freed her soul and let her marvel and wonder over nature's beautiful gifts. With John Foster, one felt such a oneness with nature and a satisfying sense of well-being that it was impossible to resist dreaming.

One letter. It was all it took. One letter from Dr. Trent to Valancy, telling her she was dying of heart disease was enough to make her break free from the miserable, predictable and insupportable pattern of her life, and start living her own.

Omgomgomgomg when I found out that Barney was not only a millionaire's son, BUT ALSO JOHN FOSTER!!!!!! AAAHHHHH!!! I think that was the best part of the book!! That and his love declaration, of course. Dear me.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the fact that it was Valancy who proposed to Barney, and he just casually accepted! That was a fun twist, I thought. :)

Recommends it for: readers of sweet romances or interested in turn-of-the-20th-C. times

Recommended to Lois by:
Goodreads discussion of another book

(I read this as a library e-book.)

Having just polished off a couple of modern Regencies with the Dying Hero trope, I had asked if anyone had encountered one with a dying heroine, because I was curious how they would compare. The differences in time, place, and style of the writing from this century-old book overwhelmed the comparison, alas for science, but it was a very enjoyable read nonetheless. It's been said that the two Ur-models for romances are Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella; this to(I read this as a library e-book.)

Having just polished off a couple of modern Regencies with the Dying Hero trope, I had asked if anyone had encountered one with a dying heroine, because I was curious how they would compare. The differences in time, place, and style of the writing from this century-old book overwhelmed the comparison, alas for science, but it was a very enjoyable read nonetheless. It's been said that the two Ur-models for romances are Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella; this took a while to settle into its destined slot, but arrived there satisfyingly in due course.

Generally better writing than many modern genre romances, but the almost complete silence about sex became very noticeable by contrast. It's such a big part of learning how to be a woman at that stage of one's life, the lacunae seemed less discreet than cruel. Well, context.

Good outdoors values, ones that I entirely share. I don't see how humans can live in cities.

I'm still looking for a more modern dying heroine, for comparisons. And, though it probably can't be in the same book, romantic comedy as opposed to angsty romantic melodrama. (I've read up Heyer, Crusie, Krentz, & SE Phillips, thanks.)

SamanthaThanks. I don't have a good dying heroine, but a dedication on one of your books got me going on Georgette Heyer, and now I'm on Goodreads because I'vThanks. I don't have a good dying heroine, but a dedication on one of your books got me going on Georgette Heyer, and now I'm on Goodreads because I've read all of her (and Crusie too) so I'm so happy to see the next ones on your list! I want cheerful, insightful romance right now......more
Aug 30, 2014 03:05PM

This is without question my favorite L.M. Montgomery! Even more so than Jane of Lantern Hill. More Heartwrenching and beautiful then any of her others. It will take me some time to sort my thoughts out on this one.

Valancy has had about enough of her family's nit-picking, if they remind her one more time about her being an unwanted old maid, she feels that she will burst. Then Valancy finds that her heart is not only having strange jumpy spells, but is leaving her crippled with pain at times. SoThis is without question my favorite L.M. Montgomery! Even more so than Jane of Lantern Hill. More Heartwrenching and beautiful then any of her others. It will take me some time to sort my thoughts out on this one.

Valancy has had about enough of her family's nit-picking, if they remind her one more time about her being an unwanted old maid, she feels that she will burst. Then Valancy finds that her heart is not only having strange jumpy spells, but is leaving her crippled with pain at times. So, she rebels against her family's tradition of only going to Dr. _, and instead goes to Dr. Trent, without telling a soul.

“Rebellion flamed up in her soul as the dark hours passed by – not because she had no future but because she had no past.”

The news she hears is not encouraging, but it gives her a sudden and much needed will to live her own life, not that of her family.

She takes them all by storm, they don't know what's hit them. Where has dull, submissive, plain Valancy gone? And who is this shocking, outspoken almost pretty girl? She must be crazy they decide, there is no other reason why she would treat them in this atrocious manner!

For the first time in her life Valancy feels free, she says what she wants, (most of the time), works for Roaring Able and she helps his daughter Cissy, the towns shunned fallen woman. While doing that she meets Barney, a man everyone says is an ex convict. She falls head over heels for him, without him ever knowing. But that doesn't matter, because for the first time in her life, Valancy is blissfully happy.

So, so beautiful! Everyone should read this. At first I didn't think I'd like Valancy, I thought it was going to be a "pity me" kind of book. How wrong I was! By the time i turnee theast page I loved her! The only thing I didn't care for is… Barney - what a terrible name! He was amazing as a character though. That's my only complaint, and as L.M. Montgomery didn't know the purple & green Dinosaur, all is forgiven. I think it is good for all long term fans of L.M.M and those new to her works, in other words you must read it! I'll go as far as to say it is better than Anne of Green Gables. I will never forget when Valancy first saw her Blue Castle…...more

Basic plot: This is a coming-of-age-at-last story. On her 29th bday, Valancy learns that she is dying. This realization suddenly frees her from a lifetime of fearful subservience. She says and does exactly what she wants (haha!), and4 stars and 5 moonbeams for The Blue Castle, a romance set in Canada, written in ~1926 by the author of Anne of Green Gables. It is supposedly Montgomery's only romance written for adults.

Basic plot: This is a coming-of-age-at-last story. On her 29th bday, Valancy learns that she is dying. This realization suddenly frees her from a lifetime of fearful subservience. She says and does exactly what she wants (haha!), and her mother, the miserable Mrs. Frederick, can go hang with most of her other horrible, lack-wit relatives. Valancy thumbs her nose at all the hypocricy, and follows her heart.

While it still beats.

One thing has kept Valancy sane amidst her nightmare on Elm Street: her rich imagination, and John Foster's books about wildlife. Because of his books, she loves nature and doesn't fear the woods, the lake, or the night.

So...walking away from civilized Deerpark into the wilderness "up-back" near the lake, she becomes housekeeper to the town drunk --a likable old rascal -- and carefully nurses his dying daughter, a former classmate. In this rustic shack, she can read whenever she pleases, and there's nobody harping away at her all day.

Soon, she finds a soul-deep love. In keeping with her new attitude of fearless living, she throws herself wholeheartedly into his arms. :)

This is not always a light-hearted tale, but it is sooo satisfying to see Valancy come into her own. I closed my kindle with a happy sigh, for drab old "Doss" had been transformed into "Moonlight" by the love of a wild woodsman. Her prince has the soul of a poet and a strong right hook. He also has a "castle" on an island, a locked room, and a mysterious past. (And he needs her love just as much as she needs his, as it turns out. )

Valancy's spirit is finally free (and that's fun to see). With her prince, she indulges her soul in long nature walks. She discovers her innate sense of style, humor, and adventure -- canoeing, skating, snowshoeing, swimming -- even driving in a fast car. What would mama say?

Quibbles: Wanted Mrs. Frederick to get her comeuppance. Uncle Benjamin and a few others, too. Also, the opening chapters focused too much on Valancy's State of Misery. Too many passive "tellings" about her childhood heartaches. Also, too many passive tellings about life on the island, at times coming across like a list. (Notable vivid exceptions: the rose bush scene, the potpourri scene, leaving the dance at Chidley Corners, the frightening train scene.) I am not crazy about what Valancy decided to do at the end, after she learned the truth, but I doubt she would have continued along that path for long. Hope not, else the message is that we need a man or death to break free.

Quibbles aside, The Blue Castle is feel-good, poignant, amusing, satirical, and sweet. A classic romance with a little mystery. Published in 1926, of the "clean" variety.

KathleenYes, it does have a holiday scene. A cabin in the snow. Good chuckles. It's available for free download. See link in my review.
Dec 17, 2013 01:27PM

KathleenJill wrote: "Thanks so much for the link to the free download! Now I just have to figure out how to move it to my kindle. Sounds like a perfect sweetJill wrote: "Thanks so much for the link to the free download! Now I just have to figure out how to move it to my kindle. Sounds like a perfect sweet romance for the holidays."

This is a lovely book, sweet with sentiment without being sentimental.I'm a depressive sad sack, however, so my review isn't going to be the pleasant and lovely review that anyone will want to read, I'm afraid.

So I'm feeling depressed and looking over and back again (similar to Bilbo's journey but not exactly. No 'shrooms) my bookshelves for something to stimulate the low mood a bit. I consider a favorite, but I'm afraid that this bad mood will ruin it for me. Sad, isn't it. (Favorites are suppoThis is a lovely book, sweet with sentiment without being sentimental.I'm a depressive sad sack, however, so my review isn't going to be the pleasant and lovely review that anyone will want to read, I'm afraid.

So I'm feeling depressed and looking over and back again (similar to Bilbo's journey but not exactly. No 'shrooms) my bookshelves for something to stimulate the low mood a bit. I consider a favorite, but I'm afraid that this bad mood will ruin it for me. Sad, isn't it. (Favorites are supposed to be there when you need them. My insane moods ruin even that.) L.M. Montgomery's The Blue Castle (one of those favorites) might make me feel left out from the sweetness (it is bittersweet, and that's kinda perfect. It's the goes off without me happy ending I fear...), or annoyed with Valancey that it took her that long to stand up for herself, or that Barney Snaith had to pretend to be something he wasn't when Valancey had the courage to finally own herself. And for such a silly reason, too. Everyone wanted him for his money alone, supposedly, or at least the family name (that's why he chose Snaith. Personally, I like it). How can you be loved for yourself if you're lying and not yourself? Guess you can be always be loved in parts, people often only offer some some parts and sides, etc. It's just the annoying cliche of prince pretends to be the pauper to be sure of the girl, really. I'm crazy. It's not for me to judge uncertainty. What I loved about this book is that it isn't about me at all. Valancey had to reach that stuff for herself. It doesn't matter what I'd have done. I don't need to love Barney for myself because it's not about me (not that he's a bad guy, not at all). I can relate, though. I may not need a mix-up doctor's note of immediate imminent death*, but I do have to bully myself (quite meanly, when occassion calls) to do what might be easy peasy social stuff for someone else. It's not far from the realm of the imagination for me to get into her space of timidity because I know where that anxiety comes from. Especially the being knocked down by the bullies. (People are just people. Don't be an idiot.) L.M. Montgomery wrote a great story about Valancey that wasn't about anyone else but her. Right on. In your own pace and time moods and growth. When they are both in love at the same time, it is because that's how it grew. That's more than pretty rare in written love stories.

Snaith was secretly Valancey's favorite naturist writer in disguise. I think he was right that it was kinda schmaltzy and self-helpy (in a private way you don't want to be caught doing on your worst days). I love that he was embarrassed of her gushing geyser of love and not constantly asking for praise. There's nothing more annoying than dating a writer who wants more and more praise heaped on top of praise about his writing to the point you no longer want to read what you had really liked (whoops I'm making this about me! It's not about me!). (Every time he changed a single word!) (Subtext back to text now.) I dug the nature stuff. I don't recall which book this was (it was probably ya) that said that a person is devoted to the landscape type where they resided for their first seven years (ring a bell to anyone?). We moved all over (in the American south) so I feel no special love for the sea over swamps and woods and mountains. I like it all. Maybe that was bogus. But I did get into the mood of the lay of their land. It was really nice. Maybe there's something to be said for that. I've read many accounts of displaced Iranians (or should I say Persians? Some prefer to be called Persian, whatever the country has been called for ages. The Persian Rip van Winkle?) who pine for their date trees. You can't even tell which palm trees are real or fake here.

L.M. Montgomery was one of the first writers I've ever read. Started with Anne, of course, and the Avonlea stuff. I've got a pretty bad fixation for Canada, too. Maybe the yearning for 'scapes comes from anywhere that meant the most to you in your earliest days. That'd be these! The Blue Castle is my very favorite because I guess it doesn't matter if I'm in a girlish mood for sweet happy endings I'll be reminded I don't have, or whatever. It's not about me.

Speaking of Avonlea... Another point for The Blue Castle versus those is that Valancey's problems and fixing them is up to her. Some little scamp doesn't come in and play matchmaker, or seperate her from an evil twin (my twin and I always hated that!). She saves herself and it isn't anyone else's business. Her happiness is her problem. Love it. And her love is only what she feels and the ending of if they get together or not is not the important thing. L.M. Montgomery could be a genuis. Sometimes she wrote really annoying scamps and besmirched the name of twins.

Footnote: There's a great Mr. Show skit about how awful celebrities make it big 'cause they have IDS: Imminent Death Syndrome. Like Juliette Lewis or Tom Green. Pity, not a burning drive leading to greatness. Just to be clear... We're all gonna die. Did Valancey think it was going to go that way forever? Why didn't that make her MORE scared than wasting time? Like Morrissey said: "It may all end tomorrow, or it could go on forever, in which case I'm doomed." What he said....more

HelenWhile I quite liked your review, I can't help thinking that you put some huge spoilers out there and if I hadn't already read the novel I would have bWhile I quite liked your review, I can't help thinking that you put some huge spoilers out there and if I hadn't already read the novel I would have been quite annoyed about it. Just saying!...more
Aug 24, 2012 06:29AM

Well, this was a rather dark comedy! Because it's Montgomery, you almost don't notice how dark it is. There's depression, alcoholism, terminal illness...

Her protagonist Valancy begins the story as a mousy spinster and then makes a pendulum swing to full on Joan Crawford. (She literally chops up a rose bush!) She rebels against her prim and proper family, recklessly and indiscriminately. I preferred the sweet, shy Valancy but I understand that this is a wish-fulfillment narrative. And I appreciatWell, this was a rather dark comedy! Because it's Montgomery, you almost don't notice how dark it is. There's depression, alcoholism, terminal illness...

Her protagonist Valancy begins the story as a mousy spinster and then makes a pendulum swing to full on Joan Crawford. (She literally chops up a rose bush!) She rebels against her prim and proper family, recklessly and indiscriminately. I preferred the sweet, shy Valancy but I understand that this is a wish-fulfillment narrative. And I appreciate Montgomery's desire to defend her heroine.

In many ways, I could relate to Valancy: her sadness, her alienation, her escape into fantasy. I could even relate to her anger. I just wish she'd resolved it differently. I would like to have seen Valancy find some balance for herself. (The balance that exists between Anne and Marilla.) But I think Montgomery was too depressed and too angry at this point in her life to compose that sort of narrative.

Oddly enough, I was reminded of Agnes Grey. But whereas Agnes' story argues too much for propriety, Valancy's argues too much against it. I kinda want to get these two sad, stubborn hermits in a room and say, "Stop all this bickering! Can't you see that you belong together?"

But they'd probably just turn to me with sitcom incredulousness and simultaneously shout, "WHAT?" .....more

What is it about LM Montgomery that makes you want to take the next plane to Prince Edward Island? I finished reading The Blue Castle with the same engrossed delight I had in meeting Anne Shirley years ago.

Valancy Stirling is plain, shy, bossed around by everyone and compared constantly (negatively) to her wonderful cousin Olive- the big-chested blond who gets all the rich men. (lol- some things in society never change). And horror of all horrors- she's 29 and STILL SINGLE! The Stirlings are asWhat is it about LM Montgomery that makes you want to take the next plane to Prince Edward Island? I finished reading The Blue Castle with the same engrossed delight I had in meeting Anne Shirley years ago.

Valancy Stirling is plain, shy, bossed around by everyone and compared constantly (negatively) to her wonderful cousin Olive- the big-chested blond who gets all the rich men. (lol- some things in society never change). And horror of all horrors- she's 29 and STILL SINGLE! The Stirlings are ashamed. And sadly, so is sweet Valancy. But she has her daydreams of her Blue Castle where she reigns queen to turn to when things get unbearable. Then a letter arrives that forces Valancy to completely change the way she lives her life. Might that change involve Barney Snaith- the unshaven 'outlaw' that good Christian people in Deerwood condemn? And I thought James Dean was the one who started the bad boy/good girl thing.

Valancy is your typical LM Montgomery early 1900s heroine- love-starved and suffocated by critical relatives. Reading these women generally reminds us of how lucky one is to be growing up in the 21st century, where men and motherhood aren't the only options to happiness for women. What I've always loved, though- is even though LM Montgomery casts similar traits upon her characters, you never feel as though you're meeting the same person. This is, I think, the mark of a truly clever writer.

The pages that follow the arrival of the dreaded letter had a blend of humor that had me 'in fits' to quote Valancy, romance, and purely enchanted writing. The book is filled with long passages that are odes to Mother Nature. Though beautiful, they do trip up the story at times with their length. It's a sad thing, though, to realize how much modern society has lost its connection to nature when you read of people who treat trees and streams like family members.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.Oh, LM, will you forgive me for ignoring you these past couple years? I haven't even been doing my annual reread of the entirety of your Anne series, and that just wasn't fair. But I've learned my lesson.

Wonderful book! Sweet and funny and charming and a fabulous story. Valancy is a wonderful character - difficult, capable of huge change, fearless once she makes up her mind to be, and tons of fun.

Montgomery is queen, as always, of the small town mentality - and the overbearing family, for that mOh, LM, will you forgive me for ignoring you these past couple years? I haven't even been doing my annual reread of the entirety of your Anne series, and that just wasn't fair. But I've learned my lesson.

Wonderful book! Sweet and funny and charming and a fabulous story. Valancy is a wonderful character - difficult, capable of huge change, fearless once she makes up her mind to be, and tons of fun.

Montgomery is queen, as always, of the small town mentality - and the overbearing family, for that matter. Everyone knows everything about everyone else, and while it's played for laughs (and it works in, say, Anne's favor quite a bit), it mostly just made Valancy's life harder.

I was so proud of Doss for breaking away and not being Doss anymore. She made a complete about face, and it was so much fun to read about.

I called the Foster reveal about two chapters in, but that didn't take away from the story (it almost made it better, because I was dying for Valancy to catch on). And I totally didn't see part two of that coming.

Dichotomy GirlCara wrote: "If memory serves me right I think it was your review that put this book in my radar!!! I LOVED it:) I wish she had written more adult booCara wrote: "If memory serves me right I think it was your review that put this book in my radar!!! I LOVED it:) I wish she had written more adult books as well. I have read most of the Anne books and do cheris..."

Your welcome! You might also enjoy Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, they share kind of a common theme of spinster who decides to shuck off convention, but are otherwise completely different. It was a gem that I picked at random off the 1001 books to read before you die list, that ended up being one of my favorites....more
9 hours, 48 min ago

CaraI will have to look into that then! Thanks the recommendation:)
7 hours, 34 min ago

It is remarkable that this book perfectly follows so many long-established Hollywood romantic comedy conventions, and yet it avoids cliché, surprising and delighting the reader despite its tired plot.

The Blue Castle is built on several overused tropes. Valancy, the homely protagonist who has been living as an old maid since girlhood, discovers that she will die within a year. And so the book begins with one of those well-known carpe diem sequences where a dying character gives her finger to theIt is remarkable that this book perfectly follows so many long-established Hollywood romantic comedy conventions, and yet it avoids cliché, surprising and delighting the reader despite its tired plot.

The Blue Castle is built on several overused tropes. Valancy, the homely protagonist who has been living as an old maid since girlhood, discovers that she will die within a year. And so the book begins with one of those well-known carpe diem sequences where a dying character gives her finger to the world and learns, too late, how to live life to the fullest, normally by swimming with dolphins or going skydiving, and of course, by falling in true real deep love for the first time ever. Yet here, Montgomery’s use of this trope does not irritate, mostly because despite Valancy’s profound change in attitude, she remains the same person. Valancy accepts her morbid news and uses it as a way to discover what she has wanted and forbidden herself from having for 29 years. She doesn’t create a massive bucket list and cross off items daily—she simply learns to say yes to what she wants and no to what she doesn’t want.

Another romantic comedy trope: the ridiculous family. Valancy is part of the Stirling family, a bourgeois Canadian clan that reigns in small town Ontario but considers itself to be equal to the royal family at Versailles. There are around ten relatives that incessantly insult, pity, and, worst, simply ignore Valancy, and each is wonderfully sketched. One of the novel’s most fantastic scenes takes place at a family dinner soon after Valancy’s diagnosis. She finally tells each family member exactly what she thinks of them, and each relative melts into a babbling state, unable to recognize the newly liberated niece/daughter/granddaughter/cousin who sees through them and their antics.

The final romantic trope is also one of my most hated. In The Blue Castle we have a case of he-loves-her-but-shhh-only-she-doesn’t-know-it syndrome. Because of the relationship’s unique circumstances, I cannot reject this trope as I normally do. It seems believable that a girl who has been told for decades that she is ugly and unloveable would struggle to accept that she is indeed loved. And without this trope, we wouldn’t get to read a wonderful scene where the lovers finally acknowledge and confess the true depth of their love.

The Blue Castle is trite, to be sure, but it’s trite in such an utterly charming way that I can’t bring myself to fault it. It certainly helps that L.M. Montgomery is a wonderful writer with an incredible capacity to describe the beauty of the Canadian wilderness. Like all of Montgomery’s work, this is a book that reminds you how amazing it is to be alive, to be able to enjoy the world with friends by your side. There may be clichés and a serious case of deus ex machina, but no matter, you’ll be too grateful that you can lie in the grass, gaze at the stars, hear the songs of the birds, and fall in love at any moment to even care.

Best remembered for her well-loved red-headed heroine, Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery's understated more 'grown up' novel, The Blue Castle, deserves equal, if not a higher echelon of praise. An invigorating exercise in general satire, The Blue Castle's characterization borders on Dickens-like caricature as Montgomery introduces an array of amusing, egotistical and decidedly silly relatives of the heroine, Valancy Stirling.

Social and familial pressures have combined tMy rating: 4.5/5

Best remembered for her well-loved red-headed heroine, Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery's understated more 'grown up' novel, The Blue Castle, deserves equal, if not a higher echelon of praise. An invigorating exercise in general satire, The Blue Castle's characterization borders on Dickens-like caricature as Montgomery introduces an array of amusing, egotistical and decidedly silly relatives of the heroine, Valancy Stirling.

Social and familial pressures have combined to deny the sensitive 29-year-old the simple joys of youth. An overbearing pious mother and dour hypocritical relatives, who attempt to elevate themselves to local aristocracy, deliberately snuff out any spark of happiness that could make its way into Valancy's life.

She secretly finds solace in her daydreams of her 'Blue Castle' - a fantasy world she retreats to, where she is adored and happy; and the nature books penned by John Foster, a popular (but mysteriously unknown) author who writes about the poetic beauty of Canada's wilderness. Little does she know her life is about to change, on the receipt of a letter from her doctor, and that her Blue Castle will soon be within reach.

As the heroine herself undergoes a complete metamorphosis due to major life-changing events, so the plot takes the reader around one exciting bend after another. It is a pure delight to read and is sure to become a fast favorite of any reader that delves beyond the tasteless cover and insipid synopsis on the back of the book. It's truly one of L.M. Montgomery's greatest works that you will want to share with others!...more

Montgomery is famous for her Anne of Green Gables series published 1908 to 1921. The Blue Castle was published in 1926. I believe this is her only romance book. It is appropriate for young adult.

I enjoyed it all the way through. I loved the variety of characters. I feel like I’ve known parts of people who were like Valancy’s horrible relatives. Another reviewer “A Customer” described it well. “Valancy, a 29 year o4 ½ stars. Unique characters that you want to watch. It’s different. It feels good.

Montgomery is famous for her Anne of Green Gables series published 1908 to 1921. The Blue Castle was published in 1926. I believe this is her only romance book. It is appropriate for young adult.

I enjoyed it all the way through. I loved the variety of characters. I feel like I’ve known parts of people who were like Valancy’s horrible relatives. Another reviewer “A Customer” described it well. “Valancy, a 29 year old woman has lived in a scornful, repressive, loveless home her entire life, too crushed to resist, and to fearful to flee. Her family continuously torments her because she is unmarried and has no possible chances. Day after day passes in a soul-killing home among smug, uncaring, spiritually dead relatives. But drastic circumstances give Valancy the courage to defy her family, and to escape to a life of her own choosing.”

I delighted in Valancy’s subtle revenge when she said what she thought and did what she wanted - much to the horror of her relatives.

I enjoyed Valancy’s love relationship with a strange misunderstood man. I don’t know if they had sex. That was not part of the story.

If I could change something, it would be more relationship development showing the falling in love.

"Love! What a searing, torturing, intolerably sweet thing it was - this possession of body, soul and mind! With something at its core as fine and remote and purely spiritual as the tiny blue spark in the heart of the unbreakable diamond. No dream had ever been like this. She was no longer solitary. She was one of a vast sisterhood - all the women who had ever loved in the world."

I can't add much to all the wonderful reviews except to add the quote above which for some reason was not included in

"Love! What a searing, torturing, intolerably sweet thing it was - this possession of body, soul and mind! With something at its core as fine and remote and purely spiritual as the tiny blue spark in the heart of the unbreakable diamond. No dream had ever been like this. She was no longer solitary. She was one of a vast sisterhood - all the women who had ever loved in the world."

I can't add much to all the wonderful reviews except to add the quote above which for some reason was not included in the Montgomery's quotes here on GR. That was my favorite as well as the sentence describing all the dead Stirlings revolving rapidly in their graves!!

There were many funny moments, gentle romance and a bounty of lovely nature descriptions. I really enjoyed the twists at the end. It was a little hard getting past all the negativity in the beginning but well worth it. I suppose it made one appreciate Valancy's enlightenment so much more!

I loved the use of language in this book written circa 1926. Elegant but simple, many unusual descriptive words I had to look up, but not frustrating in any way to read. I would read more from this era.

"The Almighty made a mistake in making so many Stirlings. But since they are made, we've got to reckon with them. Too many to kill out. But if they come here bothering you I'll shoo 'em off before a cat could lick its ear."

"There is no such thing as freedom on earth," he said. "Only different kinds of bondages. And comparative bondages. You think you are free now because you have escaped from a peculiarly unbearable kind of bondage. But are you? You love me - that's a bondage."

"Isn't it better to have your heart broken than to have it wither up?" queried Valancy. "Before it could be broken it must have felt something splendid. That would be worth the pain."

Another funny one:"Little cousin Georgiana. Not such a bad little soul. But dreary - very. Always looking as if she had been starched and ironed. Always afraid to let herself go. The only thing she really enjoyed was a funeral. You knew where you were with a corpse. Nothing more could happen to it. But while there was life there was fear."...more

Valancy Stirling is miserably reconciled to a long life as the poor spinster in a big conservative family obsessed with appearances. Then she finds out that she has a heart condition that leaves her less than a year to live, and she decides to cast caution to the winds. She stops laughing at her relatives' boring jokes, nurses a disgraced old schoolfriend, and eventually, falls in love.

I really like Valancy. And as could be expected from Montgomery, the descriptions of a Canadian forest are beaValancy Stirling is miserably reconciled to a long life as the poor spinster in a big conservative family obsessed with appearances. Then she finds out that she has a heart condition that leaves her less than a year to live, and she decides to cast caution to the winds. She stops laughing at her relatives' boring jokes, nurses a disgraced old schoolfriend, and eventually, falls in love.

I really like Valancy. And as could be expected from Montgomery, the descriptions of a Canadian forest are beautifully detailed. The only thing that annoyed me in this book was the tendency of good-hearted men in her life to call her a darling idiot....more

I connected so much with this heroine. I've known a number of people who were just as stiff and narrow as Valancy's relatives, and have watched people near them struggling with similar self-doubt or compulsive submissiveness. I loved how the good doctor's mistake catapulted her into growing a backbone for once and going out to live for a little while.

Barney was delightful! I guessed what his Bluebeard chamber was about five chapters before Valancy found out...somehow the Allan Tierney visit tipI connected so much with this heroine. I've known a number of people who were just as stiff and narrow as Valancy's relatives, and have watched people near them struggling with similar self-doubt or compulsive submissiveness. I loved how the good doctor's mistake catapulted her into growing a backbone for once and going out to live for a little while.

Barney was delightful! I guessed what his Bluebeard chamber was about five chapters before Valancy found out...somehow the Allan Tierney visit tipped me off. I don't know why! And the Dr Redfern appearance was so tragic yet so humorous all at once!

I liked the idea of the "John Foster" stories she loves so much, but a number of the quotes were not theologically sound. For instance, to blame all the evil of the world on fear is an interesting thought...but neither theologically nor psychologically sound. It gives a good thought; indeed, many people do act wrongly out of fear; but to blame all or even most of evil on fear is not correct in the least.

And the ending was quite good. Any man worth his salt will be willing to come running after his wife to win her heart. :)

Can a terrible news change your life forever? Yes. Definitely. That is exactly what happens to Valancy Stirling. Her dull existence suddenly changes when her doctor tells her she has a serious heart issue. Instead of accepting her fate, Valancy decides to open her wings and fly... towards her happiness!

This is a life-changing book. Really. You can feel it while reading this beautiful story. Valancy Stirling is a wonderful heroine, and she has become my favourite heroine now. OK, she only startsCan a terrible news change your life forever? Yes. Definitely. That is exactly what happens to Valancy Stirling. Her dull existence suddenly changes when her doctor tells her she has a serious heart issue. Instead of accepting her fate, Valancy decides to open her wings and fly... towards her happiness!

This is a life-changing book. Really. You can feel it while reading this beautiful story. Valancy Stirling is a wonderful heroine, and she has become my favourite heroine now. OK, she only starts living after a terrible news, but what a fantastic girl! I enjoyed every single page, I was tempted to highlight the entire book, because there are hundreds of amazing phrases one should always remember and repeat to themselves. This story teaches you how to fully live, how to appreciate every single moment of your life, and most of all, it says no one has to live regretting their choices. If you want to do something and you feel it is the right thing to do, do it! Do not worry about the future, just live the present and follow your dreams!

Valancy was not happy. She feared everything and she had no past. When her doctor tells her she does not have much time anymore, something inside of her changes, and her fear becomes courage. After that, everything seems easier, simpler, and she starts to do what she wants, what she likes. She starts to live! And what an exciting life! Full of emotions, laughs and dreams that come true. She meets a special person who shares those unique moments with her and everything seems more beautiful. As soon as she falls in love, her life is worth living.

“She was no longer unimportant, little old maid Valancy Stirling. She was a woman, full of love and therefore rich and significant - justified to herself. Life was no longer empty and futile, and death could cheat her of nothing. Love had cast out her last fear.”

What a wonderful story! Do you not love it when a book brings you to another world? That is what happened to me while reading “The Blue Castle”. I think everyone should read this book. It is exciting, beautiful, romantic and full of life. I heartily recommend it!...more

Great book. I knew nothing of the story when I started reading. The first 50 or so pages were a struggle. At first, I didn't love Valancy. She seemed too weak, too respressed, too sick and too miserable. No wonder she never got to keep her own pile of dust.

However, all this was a careful set up for a huge change of character. Upon learning of her impending death, Valancy becomes brave, opinionated, whitty, caring and often extremely funny. With her new freedom she lives the kind of life she hadGreat book. I knew nothing of the story when I started reading. The first 50 or so pages were a struggle. At first, I didn't love Valancy. She seemed too weak, too respressed, too sick and too miserable. No wonder she never got to keep her own pile of dust.

However, all this was a careful set up for a huge change of character. Upon learning of her impending death, Valancy becomes brave, opinionated, whitty, caring and often extremely funny. With her new freedom she lives the kind of life she had only dreamed about.

I loved her crazy and judgemental family. I loved even more when she knocked them all down a peg or two with her sarcasm. Very funny. My favorite part--the letter written by her shallow cousin, Olive, at the end of the book. Hilarious!

I think the book is best summed up when Valancy responds to her critical Uncle James saying, "I've been keeping up appearances all my life. Now I'm going for realities. Appearances can go hang!"

PS--Hate the front cover. It makes the book look like a silly romance. The story is so much better than that. ...more

I didn’t mean to reread The Blue Castle again, but then I never do plan it; I just seem to tumble into it on a regular basis. Somehow it gets better, richer, every time. I feel like I could walk out my back door and be in Muskoka, watching the moon over the lake. You wouldn’t think it possible Montgomery could make any place sound as lovely as Prince Edward Island, but oh, those woods, those views.

I love LMM’s character transformations, and Valancy’s arc is one of her best—as satisfying as Jane’I didn’t mean to reread The Blue Castle again, but then I never do plan it; I just seem to tumble into it on a regular basis. Somehow it gets better, richer, every time. I feel like I could walk out my back door and be in Muskoka, watching the moon over the lake. You wouldn’t think it possible Montgomery could make any place sound as lovely as Prince Edward Island, but oh, those woods, those views.

I love LMM’s character transformations, and Valancy’s arc is one of her best—as satisfying as Jane’s, and despite the wild coincidences of identity, even more believable than Jane’s. Montgomery does repressed, emotionally abused young women painfully well. I love watching Valancy shed her chains, coil by coil. One line in particular jumped out at me this time:

“Meanwhile she was giving herself such freedom of thought as she had never dared to take before.”

It never struck me until now how much Montgomery does with that notion of ‘freedom of thought’ being vital for a character’s happiness and growth—we see Anne thriving under the most miserable circumstances in her early childhood because of the saving power of her imagination; and Jane escaping her grandmother’s tyranny and general misery via her nightly ‘moon sprees’; and Valancy, finally, at age 29, under a death sentence, giving herself free rein to evaluate her relatives’ behavior and make her own plans. Hmm, there’s an essay to be had there. Probably someone has written it already....more

I've read a lot of Lucy M. Montgomery books, this is my 18th, so I know what to expect. Some people will say they are predictable, dated, simplistic, and maybe they are, but that's who she is, and that's part of what makes her stories so enjoyable. In that place and at that time, it's easy to imagine these characters and these stories as real, at least I would like to think that possible.

The Blue Castle is considered an adult novel, one of the very few that she wrote, but I found it similar to mI've read a lot of Lucy M. Montgomery books, this is my 18th, so I know what to expect. Some people will say they are predictable, dated, simplistic, and maybe they are, but that's who she is, and that's part of what makes her stories so enjoyable. In that place and at that time, it's easy to imagine these characters and these stories as real, at least I would like to think that possible.

The Blue Castle is considered an adult novel, one of the very few that she wrote, but I found it similar to many of her other works. A young girl with unfulfilled dreams who has to overcome hardships while dealing with a dubious family, and who finds happiness everlasting. But Montgomery's wonderful style, her colorful characters, and beautiful descriptions of an early 20th century Canadian countryside, make the reading so enjoyable. Yes, Montgomery's formula was simple, but she was a master at it, and it worked to perfection time after time....more

I really enjoyed this book, although I wasn't so sure about it in the beginning. When the beginning started with Valancy bemoaning her situation I was wondering if it was going to a 'pity her' kind of story. However, Montgomery made the change occur quickly in the story which I definitely appreciated. Her family was so ridiculous that I couldn't help laughing. Cissy was sweet, and I loved her although she had a small part in the story. Roaring Abel was... well... I liked him (especially when hI really enjoyed this book, although I wasn't so sure about it in the beginning. When the beginning started with Valancy bemoaning her situation I was wondering if it was going to a 'pity her' kind of story. However, Montgomery made the change occur quickly in the story which I definitely appreciated. Her family was so ridiculous that I couldn't help laughing. Cissy was sweet, and I loved her although she had a small part in the story. Roaring Abel was... well... I liked him (especially when he threw a certain person out the window). I loved Barney, and am very pleased that he was (view spoiler)[ John Foster (hide spoiler)]. And can anyone not love spirited Valancy? Such a lovely book, different from Montgomery's books that I have read. Still it was such a wonderful, light read. Highly recommend! :)

Just re-read this book and it's as beautiful as it was before! My favorite of Montgomery!["br"]>["br"]>...more

AnnieThis book is one of my favourites now. I'm very fond of it. ^_^ I agree Roaring Abel was hilarious. And that part when he flung the Certain Person outThis book is one of my favourites now. I'm very fond of it. ^_^ I agree Roaring Abel was hilarious. And that part when he flung the Certain Person out the window? By jiminy, that was satisfying! Also very amusing. ;) I loved Valancy too. :) And I think I might be a bit in love with Barney. ;) =D...more
Aug 31, 2013 02:00PM

Lucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author, best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908.

The author of the famous Canadian novel Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery, was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, in 1911 after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911Lucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author, best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908.

The author of the famous Canadian novel Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery, was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, in 1911 after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911 in Prince Edward Island. Her three children were born at Leaskdale, and she wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the Macdonald family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926.

Maud died in Toronto April 24, 1942 and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.

“If you can sit in silence with a person for half an hour and yet be entirely comfortable, you and that person can be friends. If you cannot, friends you'll never be and you need not waste time in trying.”
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“Fear is the original sin. Almost all of the evil in the world has its origin in the fact that some one is afraid of something.It is a cold slimy serpent coiling about you. It is horrible to live with fear; and it is of all things degrading.”
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